County: Cork Site name: MAGLIN 3
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 73:65 Licence number: 01E0445 ext.
Author: Ed Danaher, ACS Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 559233m, N 569306m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.874452, -8.592039
The N22 Ballincollig Bypass Scheme involves the construction of a new dual carriageway between Bishopstown (Ballinaspig More townland) and Ovens (Knockanemore townland) and covers an area of 750,000m2. A desk-top survey, commissioned during the design stage, identified five known archaeological sites that might be affected by the road-building work. These were referred to as Sites A to E; this report is concerned with Site D, a fulacht fiadh to the north of the road-take.
In June 2001 testing was carried out less than 30m south of this monument to determine whether any associated material was present within the road-take. No features of significance were exposed, and no finds were recovered. In spring 2002 the main contractor for the Ballincollig Bypass Scheme acquired a number of fields outside of the road-take to use as permanent dumps for topsoil. As this site is within one of these fields, a request was made by Dúchas to establish its extent by means of testing and subsequently to create a buffer zone around it. Once the extent was established, a decision was to be made on the most effective method for the preservation of this site in situ. The work was carried out in June 2002.
The site was in a large, relatively flat field, with much of the southern extent being extremely marshy; no trace of the site was visible before testing. However, a dry patch on the margins of this marshy area (which appeared to be a favourite resting place for cattle, owing to the dryer conditions afforded by the burnt-mound spread) was chosen as the possible location of the fulacht fiadh. Four small exploratory trenches, 1.4–3.2m long, were inserted. All revealed burnt-mound material, consisting of heat-shattered stones and charcoal flecks, 0.1–0.15m beneath the sod. Once this material was identified, the trenches were not continued. After these deposits were photographed and recorded, the trenches were backfilled.
The maximum measurements of the fulacht fiadh was 19m east–west by 18m. On completion of the testing, a buffer zone was established to protect the site. This was done by excavating four trenches around the site at a distance of 6m from its perimeter.
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